I am so lucky to be able to be in Israel on the trip of a lifetime. I’ve thought about my expectations for this trip, and I have set them aside. I go into this trip with an open mind and open heart to absorb all I can from the land of Israel.
Our day begin with introductions and welcome of Shira (both Kline and song), encouraging us to reach into our very being and to feel all which we will experience.
We started our tour with our guide, Eli, who took us through the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek. This neighborhood is an old neighborhood, the first outside of Jaffa and sits in the shadow of the modern city Tel Aviv. We are introduced to many famous people who have helped to develop and settle the area.
After this tour of the quaint city, we headed over to Independence Hall for an introduction to the history of when Israel became a state. We listened as David Ben-Gurion read aloud the declaration of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. This was followed by the shehechianu blessing and the singing of Hatikva, the national anthem of Israel, where we all stood and sang together.
Following this emotional moment, we walked in the city to the Carmel shuk, or market.. It was exciting to walk through the narrow paths and look at all the colors of the fruits, vegetables, spices, candies and other items for sale. It was a an explosion of the mind.
We were treated to a graffiti tour by the artist Remi Meiri. He took us through the streets to show us the artwork which is painted in the city to enhance the peoples experience as they walk or drive through the streets. We had a visit to his art studio, and were excited to paint our very own masterpiece on the city walls.
To end our evening, we went to the cooking studio for a hands on experience creating delicious Israeli cuisine to eat. We had such fun sharing, laughing, and being in our hevruta, or friends group.
I cannot imagine what tomorrow will bring.
